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3076 Highway 14,
Millbrook, AL 36054

(334) 285-4210

Walk-ins Welcomed!
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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions by Pet Owners

After-Hours or Weekend Emergencies

After regular business hours and on holidays, please contact your closest emergency animal hospital.

Ark Animal Hospital is a walk-in animal hospital. No appointments are needed for sick veterinary care, wellness veterinary care, vaccines or nutritional counseling. Appointments are needed for dental care and surgical care.

So that we may accurately refill your pet’s medications we request as much notice as possible when refills are needed.

The fees we charge for services are based upon what is needed to maintain the quality of care we are proud to provide. Payment is required at the time service is rendered. For your convenience, we accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Care Credit.

Vaccines are an important part of your dog or cat’s health care. Vaccines keep your pet healthy and prevent serious diseases. Our veterinarians will make sure your pet avoids these serious diseases through annual wellness exams, vaccinations and parasite protection.

Rabies Vaccine. Rabies is transmitted through by bites from wild animals, particularly skunks, raccoons, possums, bats, and foxes. This disease can be transmitted to humans through the bite or scratch of an infected pet/animal. Puppies/kittens will first receive this vaccination at 12 weeks of age; then will be revaccinated annually. This vaccine is required by law.

DAPP Vaccine. This is a “4-way” canine vaccine that vaccinates against canine distemper, adenovirus type 2, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. Distemper and parvovirus are often times fatal, especially in puppies and is why it is boostered multiple times. Puppies can be vaccinated as early as 8 weeks and are boostered every 3 weeks until 16 weeks of age. Adult dogs are then revaccinated yearly.

Lyme Vaccine. Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria transmitted by ticks. The vaccine is recommended for dogs and puppies depending on exposure risk, including time spent outdoors in wooded or grassy areas, such as dog parks, campgrounds, hunting fields/meadows/ponds, and/or dogs that visit Lyme-endemic areas of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic or upper Midwest.

Bordetella. Also known as “kennel cough”. We recommend the intranasal vaccine when a patient will be boarding, grooming, or in any situation where they will come into contact with other pets (dog care, obedience, park, etc.)

FVRCP Vaccine. This is a “4-way” feline vaccine that vaccinates against feline distemper (aka panleukopenia), rhinotrachetitis, calici, and chlamydia. Kittens can be vaccinated as early as 6 weeks and are boostered every 3 weeks until 16 weeks of age. Adult cats are then revaccinated yearly.

Feline Leukemia VaccineFeline Leukemia Vaccine is recommended for kittens and cats that are of “high risk,” such as indoor/outdoor cats/kittens.

Heartworm disease is a serious disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes and if left untreated can be fatal. We recommend your dog and cat be on year round heartworm prevention starting at your pet’s first visit. Your pet will need to be tested with a simple blood test for heartworm disease on an annual basis.

We recommend using flea/tick prevention all year for your pet.

Yearly blood work should be performed to detect infections and diseases, helping us to detect disease early. In many situations early detection is essential for more effective treatment. The type of blood work will be determined specifically for each pet depending on his or her individual needs. This annual blood test is convenient to do at the time of your pet’s annual heartworm test but can be done at any time of year.

Dogs could get sick (vomiting, diarrhea, and/or death) if placed on heartworm prevention when they have heartworm disease. Even if they have been on heartworm prevention year round there is always the possibility that the product may have failed for various reasons (your pet spit out the pill, did not absorb the pill appropriately, topical medicine was not applied properly, forgot to administer medication on time, etc.) and the earlier we can treat your pet for heartworm disease the better the prognosis. ALL companies will guarantee their product providing you use the heartworm prevention year round and are obtaining yearly heartworm tests. When starting heartworm prevention, or if your pet has not been on heartworm prevention year round, it is important that you perform a heartworm test six months after starting the prevention to rule out the pre-patent period. The pre-patent period refers to the time in which a dog has early developmental larvae which cannot be detected on a heartworm test, even though your dog is already harboring heartworm infection. If you do not do this it is possible the manufacturer of the products may not cover your pet’s treatment should they test positive for heartworm disease in the future.

It is recommended that your dog and cat be put on heartworm prevention for the entire year. It is administered once a month either by pill or by topical application. Depending on the specific product you and your veterinarian choose for your pet, heartworm prevention medication can prevent other parasite infestations including internal parasites (intestinal parasites) and external parasites (fleas and ticks). A simple blood test will get your pet started.

No. Heartworm disease is a blood-borne disease that is transmitted through mosquitoes. A simple blood test will confirm whether or not your dog has heartworm disease.

It is important to prevent fleas. Not only are they uncomfortable for your pet, fleas are also carriers of disease. There are many medications for the treatment and prevention of fleas. Some medications are in a combined form with the monthly heartworm medication. Not only is this convenient, but it reduces the cost of two medications! Although fleas are more prevalent in summer months, fleas can be seen year round.

We believe an annual professional dental exam, tooth scaling and polishing are necessary to treat and maintain your dog and cat’s healthy teeth and gums. As your pet ages or his or her health needs change, advanced dental care may be required. Your pet’s teeth and mouth should be examined by us on a regular basis.

Yes. Proper dental care at home is highly recommended to help maintain the oral health of your dog and cat. Home dental care for companion animals should start early, even before the adult teeth erupt. It is best if owners brush their dogs and cats teeth twice daily. Dental sealants can easily be placed while your pet is being spayed or neutered. Although tooth brushing is the best method of preventing plaque, calculus, and bacterial build-up, there are many options for dental home care. Other oral home care options such as dental formulated foods, water additives, and dental treats should be considered.

Canine Bordetella is a respiratory disease called Infectious Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough). It is easily transmitted through the air. It is a viral infection complicated by bacteria. Both intranasal and injectable vaccines are available.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease. It is spread by wildlife (raccoons, skunks, opossums, squirrels, rats) and domestic animals. It can be passed to people. Canine Lepto has risen dramatically in recent years. Infected animals shed Lepto bacteria in the urine. To prevent Lepto in your dog, discourage your pet from drinking standing water and vaccinate yearly.

The best time to spay or neuter your dog or cat is 4-6 months of age. However, it can be done at most ages.

Please do not feed your pet after 12 AM Midnight the evening before a scheduled procedure. There is no restriction on drinking water. Plan to arrive at the hospital between 7:30 am and 8:00 am, and allow 30 minutes for check-in procedures.

In preparation for the procedure, your pet will receive:

  • Pre-anesthetic exam
  • Pre-anesthetic bloodwork if needed
  • Premedication to easy anxiety and to smooth induction of anesthesia
  • Placement of an intravenous catheter to deliver medications and fluids that support blood pressure and organ function during anesthesia
  • In addition to the above it gives your pet a chance to acclimate to the hospital environment to make the situation less stressful.

This all needs to be complete BEFORE your pet’s scheduled procedure time.

You should bring special food or medications your pet is currently on. We also recommend bringing your own food if your pet has a sensitive stomach as a change in food can upset their system. You may also bring a toy or special item for your pet. We will do our best to make sure belongings stay with your pet; however these items occasionally go missing in the laundry, so we cannot guarantee their return.

At Ark Animal Hospital, we take all anesthetic cases very seriously. We utilize the safest, multi-modal approach that is individually created for each dog or cat. It includes injectables for sedation and pain management as well as gas anesthetic agents. The combination of pre-anesthetic assessment of your pet (including blood work), use of modern anesthetic agents plus the latest anesthetic monitoring equipment means that anesthesia is generally considered to be a very low risk for your pet.

We closely monitor your pet during the procedure and the recovery process using advanced monitoring equipment. Parameters often monitored include oxygen concentration in the blood stream (pulse oximetry), electrocardiogram (EKG), core body temperature, respiratory rate, blood pressure and carbon dioxide level. The monitoring findings allow us to perform safe anesthesia.